


A Different Kind of Ink

by shadowblade_tara



Series: Nyctophilia [2]
Category: Venom (Movie 2018)
Genre: Gender Neutral Venom Symbiote (Marvel), Lesbian Original Character, M/M, Tattoos, background discussions of gender, venom is inadvertently hilarious
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-23
Updated: 2018-10-23
Packaged: 2019-08-06 14:48:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16389719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowblade_tara/pseuds/shadowblade_tara
Summary: Eddie gets a new tattoo every time something good happens in his life.  There's a new one that's very overdue.





	A Different Kind of Ink

**Author's Note:**

> Somewhere I read a fic about Venom wanting Eddie to get a tattoo to commemorate them, and now I can't remember who wrote it or find it again to give them proper credit. This is my little spin on that idea.
> 
> EDIT: Thanks to Lugiagirl98, the inspiration for this fic has been found! https://archiveofourown.org/works/16249895

The hilarity of explaining human culture to an alien is the weird things they pick up on. The things Eddie _thinks_ Venom won’t understand are usually the things they do, while some of the simplest shit can confound the symbiote to the point of Eddie dropping the explanation for fear of bursting out laughing.

**Why do you have skin-patterns?**

The question startles Eddie enough that he almost stops walking down the sidewalk. They were originally talking about new apartments and whether it was smart to move to a better neighborhood now that Eddie has a freelance writing job. (Well, Eddie was explaining why it wasn’t smart, because freelance pay generally sucks, but hey.) This question is completely out of left-field.

“Skin-patterns?”

Venom shifts under his skin, not manifesting but rather drawing his attention to the areas in question. **We thought it was a gender-binary marking – Anne doesn’t have them, and you do. But we have seen other females with them, and other males without. So what are they? Unless they do not identify as their assigned gender?**

And Eddie really wants to laugh. The idea of sex versus gender, completely cool with. Venom had no problems accepting that explanation. Tattoos, on the other hand, stump them. “Tattoos as a gender indicator. You might have just come up with the plot of the next bestselling novel.”

Venom gently flicks at his wrist. **Don’t be an ass.**

“Don’t be unintentionally funny.” Eddie retorts, grinning despite himself. “Tattoos are actually a type of artwork. We use needles to insert ink into the skin and make patterns. They’re completely an individual choice and have nothing to do with gender.”

Venom hums to themself as they consider this. **So why do humans choose them?**

“A wide variety of reasons. Some do it to commemorate an event in their lives, some because they just really like the art and want to keep it on them forever. There are memorial tattoos for people you’ve lost, anniversary tattoos, all sorts.”

**Is it dangerous?**

“If you don’t get it in the right place.” Eddie indicates across the street with a faint wave of his hand. He has his earbuds in and one hand in his pocket, so he’s not getting as many weird looks as he normally would. “See that place over there, with the neon lights? That’s a tattoo parlor, where the artists work that make them. If you go to the wrong place, you can get either really ugly tattoos, or really sick.”

**Sick?**

“Remember the documentary you watched about HIV? Contaminated tattoo ink is another way to get it.”

Sharing needles. Venom gets it. Eddie knows they still have a lot of questions, so he keeps silent as he continues down the street to the next complex that might have some vacancies. He can only hope. There’s only so long he can use a sheet for a door.

**Why do you get them?**

“Me, personally? All of my tattoos are to commemorate something. I got one when I graduated high school, another when I graduated college. I was planning on getting one after Anne and I got married.” Talking about that doesn’t hurt nearly as much as it used to, thanks almost entirely to the alien goo currently sharing a body with him.

**So they help you remember good things.**

“Pretty much. Sometimes other people will ask about them, and then I can tell them about the good things that have happened to me.”

**Bonding.**

“Socializing, at any rate. Actually,” Eddie muses, “I think it’s about time I got another one.” He senses Venom’s curiosity and grins. “Nope. It’s a complete secret. But when I get it, you can’t try to heal it. You have to let it heal on its own, otherwise you’ll force the ink out. Okay?”

**Okay.**

/----------/

Over the next week, in between looking for a new place to live and more stable work, Eddie does some research. Venom does his own research as well. They flip through Eddie’s mind, searching out the memories of other tattoos to use as a reference to this experience. Eddie lets them, content to look up various images and draw his own sketches as Venom looks into the experience. 

Tattoos hurt. Some places hurt more than others. Eddie considers it a good kind of pain. None of his tattoos have hurt enough to make him stop. He has a particular artist that he likes, and she takes good care of him, makes sure he knows what he’s getting himself into every time.

The frequency of the gun isn’t going to be a problem – too low to hurt Venom. The symbiote finds themself flattered that Eddie actually thought to check on that, but they’re more concerned about the potential for harm to Eddie. 

Still, Eddie figures out a design that he likes, even though he won’t show it to Venom, and at the end of the week, they go to the tattoo parlor.

The artist is a young woman called Jazz, blond hair streaked with blue and friendly smile already in place when she sees Eddie. She’s covered in a variety of tattoos, Venom notices. They like them. 

“Eddie! Been a while since I’ve seen you.”

“Yeah, had a lot of shit happen.” He gives her a hug. “Got time to work me in today?”

“Always have time for you.” she says cheerfully. She pats the seat. “Whatcha got in mind?” Eddie hands her the image. She grins. “V? That’s not Anne’s initial.”

“Nope. I have a new partner.”

“Congrats! Kinda sudden, considering the breakup. It hasn’t been, what, seven months?” But she’s already prepping the gun and the ink, and Eddie just smiles.

“It’s still right.” he says simply. Jazz nods.

“I know that feeling. That’s how me and my wife got together.” Jazz settles into her seat. “Where are we putting it?” Eddie indicates the place on his arm, just inside his wrist, and Jazz gets to work.

Inside, he feels Venom shift at the uncomfortable feeling. The inside of the wrist is one of those places that hurts worse than others, but Eddie keeps up a steady flow of conversation with Jazz, keeping Venom’s focus off the pain. 

It’s over with almost as soon as it starts, or so it feels like. Eddie examines the work with a satisfied smile.

It’s a unity knot. To one side is the letter E, on the other the letter V. Inside, Venom stills, taking in the implications of such a marking.

“It’s good work, Jazz.”

“Glad you like it.”

Venom stays silent the entire time Jazz bandages the fresh ink, gives Eddie the typical refresher on how to care for the ink, and cashes him out. Eddie’s about to leave when Jazz speaks again.

“One day, I wanna meet him.”

He smiles. “One day, you will.” 

/--------/

They make it all the way home before Eddie speaks. “You okay?”

**Commemorating us?**

“Yeah. I think we’re something worth celebrating.

Venom hums inside him, pleasure warming his soul.

**Yes. We are.**


End file.
